Hello, as mentioned, I would like to share our experiences with our home renovation, insulation, and other related work.
First of all: It can be worthwhile.
I say "can" because the topic is complex and cannot be generalized.
Let me start: Nine years ago, we bought a semi-detached house built in 1935, with double-walled hard-fired brick masonry (probably lasts a thousand years).
The windows are double-glazed plastic frames. During the initial renovation, we removed the cellar insulation (granulate) and installed 15 cm (6 inches) of polystyrene insulation and underfloor heating on the ground floor. Later, the roof needed attention; a lightweight metal roof was installed over the shingle roof. I made sure (this is important) that the roof overhang was extended towards the gable by about 30 cm (12 inches).
Two years ago, we insulated the exterior walls with only 8 cm (3 inches) of mineral wool boards due to structural constraints (I think it’s better than polystyrene because of vapor permeability). My advantage: I had done this elsewhere under supervision before, so I was able to do it myself. Therefore, the material costs for around 80 m² (860 ft²) were approximately 5,000 euros, including scaffolding rental for four weeks. At the same time, we replaced the old gas heating system with an 80-liter (21 gallon) hot water tank with a new condensing boiler, hydrogen-ready, including a 20-liter (5 gallon) integrated hot water tank (more details on that later).
Heating costs before: 20,000 kWh annually. Now, for the past two years, about 7,000 kWh per year. Considering that the last winters were milder, this is roughly a reduction by half at least. Unfortunately, since both renovation works happened in the same year, I cannot specify how much of the savings come from the insulation or the boiler replacement.
But in our case, it definitely paid off and will have paid for itself within a few years.
I can definitely recommend insulation overall—just like you wouldn’t go outside without a coat in winter.
Regarding the gas heating: We also considered a heat pump. That might be better in the long run. But first, I had no experience with it, and second, the costs were almost three times higher. Now, when I read that in other countries, like Denmark and the UK, they cost only about a third of what they do here in Germany, I find that suspicious, if true.
I don’t want to go into more detail here; everyone can form their own opinion. By the way, electric cars also cost only a fraction of the price in other countries compared to Germany.
I’ll stop here for now. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.
Regards,
benno123
First of all: It can be worthwhile.
I say "can" because the topic is complex and cannot be generalized.
Let me start: Nine years ago, we bought a semi-detached house built in 1935, with double-walled hard-fired brick masonry (probably lasts a thousand years).
The windows are double-glazed plastic frames. During the initial renovation, we removed the cellar insulation (granulate) and installed 15 cm (6 inches) of polystyrene insulation and underfloor heating on the ground floor. Later, the roof needed attention; a lightweight metal roof was installed over the shingle roof. I made sure (this is important) that the roof overhang was extended towards the gable by about 30 cm (12 inches).
Two years ago, we insulated the exterior walls with only 8 cm (3 inches) of mineral wool boards due to structural constraints (I think it’s better than polystyrene because of vapor permeability). My advantage: I had done this elsewhere under supervision before, so I was able to do it myself. Therefore, the material costs for around 80 m² (860 ft²) were approximately 5,000 euros, including scaffolding rental for four weeks. At the same time, we replaced the old gas heating system with an 80-liter (21 gallon) hot water tank with a new condensing boiler, hydrogen-ready, including a 20-liter (5 gallon) integrated hot water tank (more details on that later).
Heating costs before: 20,000 kWh annually. Now, for the past two years, about 7,000 kWh per year. Considering that the last winters were milder, this is roughly a reduction by half at least. Unfortunately, since both renovation works happened in the same year, I cannot specify how much of the savings come from the insulation or the boiler replacement.
But in our case, it definitely paid off and will have paid for itself within a few years.
I can definitely recommend insulation overall—just like you wouldn’t go outside without a coat in winter.
Regarding the gas heating: We also considered a heat pump. That might be better in the long run. But first, I had no experience with it, and second, the costs were almost three times higher. Now, when I read that in other countries, like Denmark and the UK, they cost only about a third of what they do here in Germany, I find that suspicious, if true.
I don’t want to go into more detail here; everyone can form their own opinion. By the way, electric cars also cost only a fraction of the price in other countries compared to Germany.
I’ll stop here for now. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.
Regards,
benno123
Frauke187 schrieb:
I just have significantly higher prices. Is the situation really that bad for the Chinese workers?Compared to our liberal-social conditions, the individual person there fundamentally lives under "worse" circumstances. Even if they earn proportionally more money, their entire life is still affected by dictatorial conditions, constant fear of government violence, all kinds of intimidation, state propaganda, and so on. If life in China were actually better, there would be measurable migration numbers moving there, and you should ask yourself why you are still in this “bad” situation here. I would look forward to positive reports from that distant country. Such a comparison is like comparing apples and oranges on the largest scale and even comes across as cynical.
Frauke187 schrieb:
Many workers in China have built up some small wealth.What you call “work” here would mostly be experienced as discipline or coercion by our, and therefore your, standards. I therefore recommend a one-year internship there, or if you are sure, I suggest relocating right away. Your cynical comparisons suggest little personal experience and more secondhand opinions from the comfort of your sofa. You would be the first to get back on a plane and settle here again; no, you wouldn’t even board a flight in the first place.
Unless, of course, no new boxwood has grown in the meantime.
In general, the same applies as for those spam callers from the so-called stock exchange with their groundbreaking investment tips: If you’re so convinced, why don’t you do it yourself?
Frauke187 schrieb:
And to put it in perspective, my annual salary is only 21,600 euros. But I have significantly higher costs. Is it really that bad for the Chinese worker?Wow, as a full-time employee working 40 hours per week, that is very low. That is actually the official average hourly wage in China per week. Unofficially, they work significantly more hours.